Earth Hour is a global movement meant to bring attention and urgency to protecting the planet from global warming, climate change, habitat destruction, and other environmental changes threatening our planet’s livelihood. The event began in Sydney, Australia in 2007, and has since spread to 190 countries and millions of households.
The most common way to participate in Earth Hour is to switch off all non-essential lights in your home for one hour on March 26 at 8:30pm in your local time. The Earth hour team has suggested over 20 different activities you can partake in during that hour, including board games by candlelight, dinner in the dark, camping in your living room, and yoga. Most of these activities are family-friendly, so it’s a great opportunity to teach young (or not-so-young) people about the importance of caring for the planet.
The Earth Hour website declares that its mission is to “increase awareness and spark global conversations on protecting nature not only to combat the climate crisis, but to ensure our own health, happiness, prosperity and even survival.”
There is also an enormous online directory of events happening around the world in the days leading up to Earth Hour. You can join thousands of people in other countries for story times, workshops, and more.
Follow the Earth Hour Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter accounts to learn more about Earth Hour on March 26.
[Featured Image: Ryan Hutton via Unsplash]